Hi everyone,
I’m very excited to tell you I’ve moved to a new home.
My new site is called ”faithsighanddiy.com”. You will be transported there by WordPress. You don’t have to do anything. On the new site there is an about me page that explains it all. Plus I’ll post a “sticky” post for a week or so that will show up on the front page.
Reasons:
It will be easier for me to have everything under one roof.
It will allow me post not only about depression but other parts of my life.
It will you a better idea of who I am overall.
Plus, because it’s a big upgrade I will be able t do so much more with the site.
Looking forward to having you visit me in my new home. Gotta’ go and decorate my new home.
I’m still working on those New Year’s Resolutions. During my quiet time with God today, I was able to write-down some concrete ideas that I felt God was inspiring. I’m anxious to share those with you in the future. But not today. (Sorry for the tease.:) )
But I did read something I want to share as it makes good sense. It appeared in our newspapers weekly magazine. I accidentally tore off the author’s name so I can’t give her credit.
It’s titled: Three Ways to Set Yourself up for Resolution Success. (I’m paraphrasing).
1. Find your motivation. The author suggests that the more intrinsic our goals, (meaning, the more we pursue them for our own integrity and not for other’s approval), the more apt we are to keep them. Ex. (mine), weight loss. Our goal for losing weight should be because we want to feel better and be healthier not because we’re succumbing to the world’s view that everyone should be a size 6.)
2. Remove the obstacles. This means if skipping lunch makes you hungrier at dinner, don’t skip lunch. (my example). If you want to get your day started earlier, set your alarm. (my example). If you want to read more, have books sitting out in front of you. (my example.)
3. Watch your words. This is my favorite. Use affirming words. I WILL do this. Rather than I “should” (my least favorite word) or “I’ll try”. You’ll often hear me write about the importance of the words we use. But I hadn’t given much thought to words in connection with meeting our goals.
Anyway, hope this helps.
I live in Michigan, about 1/2 mile from Lake Michigan. This has been some winter and it’s only officially begun December 21st. This week-end, in an eight-hour span, about six inches have fallen. Then there’s the wind chill factor coming up. Like about -25 below zero for Monday and Tuesday.
The grocery store was packed this morning with people stocking up. It’s kind of funny. Hum…. This is Michigan and this is winter. DUH! (No, I wasn’t stocking up. Just what I normally buy.)
My hubby and I kind of like a bad snowstorm. We can’t go anywhere (we use the weather for an excuse). So we’re watching marathon tv and turning up the electric blanket. It’s all kind of fun.
I have a cute hot chocolate gift from x-mas and some gingerbread marshmallows from a friend, I intend to open Sunday and enjoy a steaming cup in the afternoon. Sure wish we still had our hot tub. We used to love to run from the backdoor and sink into the hot water while the snowflakes fell on us like a blanket. The hot tub sat about ten feet from the back door so that made it even more fun. There’s something crazy exhilerating about being in a hot tub in a snow storm.
I have some projects lined up, like organizing all my yarn and knitting needles and planning some projects for the next few months.
I love this purse/satchel thingee above. Keep thinking I should get rid of it but it’s so darn cute, huh? T J MAXX-five bucks.
Two sweater projects (beige and green yarn below) that have been sitting around for at least that many years.
Below, some pink Homepsun yarn that was earmarked for a shawl. Should’ve read the comments. Everyone had trouble with it. Could fit a little child. But I do have plans for it. Searched Pinterest for hours and finally came up with a pattern I think will work. (By the way, one of my favorite books and favorite authors in the background.)
I’ll work out on the elliptical too because I can’t ski or snow shoe because of the ankle thing here and here. That’s kind of a bummer because I would love to take a walk while my hubby is snowshoeing. We came up with a plan, though. I’ll go with him and walk along the road in our wonderful Hoffmaster State Park in Muskegon, MI, and enjoy nature while he is in the woods. Then I’ll sit in the truck and read and have something hot to drink and wait for him. We’ll see how I do.
You should know, the pictures of the yarn are not entire cache. There are at least 20-30 skeins in the basement. Much of it is fuzzy type yarn that I’ve lost my affinity for. My goal? If I can’t figure out what to do with it all, Goodwill will be the recipient and I will be happy knowing someone else will put it all to good use. (By the way, anybody got any ideas? Don’t want to knit them into anything but would like to use for another projects. Let me know.)
Might clean out some closets and some drawers as they are in need of a major overhaul. (Nope, no pictures. Do you think I want to humiliate myself?)
Anyway, it’s starting to snow. Here’s some pictures from sitting inside my sunroom and looking out.
Love the bench. Looks great covered in snow. Not so great looking in summer.
Poor birdies. Birdhouse about ready to fall off tree. It’s those darn squirrels.
My dad built this birdhouse for me years ago. He is since gone but I always think of him when I look out the window. It will go with me if we ever move.
Sorry for the last post. Hit “publish” by accident. Have since made corrections.
Finally some pictures. The picture above is a cone I made for covering with yarn. We were at our cabin in the fall and my hubby was hunting so I got busy. I had the paper and had just been to a local mission store where I bought the green cord you will see. I had white yarn leftover from earlier project and as luck would have it, I had left it at the cabin.
I secured the edges with masking tape and then simply began winding yarn. I forgot to take pictures of the white tree in progress. Also, my husband had put up plastic film on our cabin windows and there was the leftover tape you use to secure the film. It’s double-sides and SO MUCH EASIER to use than the kind of double-faced tape you buy for scrapbook projects. I merely wrapped around the cone in a spiral pattern to adhere the yarn at various points. Didn’t matter if it didn’t lie flat because the yarn covered it.
Isn’t this pretty? I also found some metallic ribbon at the same store and I separated the strands and just adhered it however I could. I forgot to mention I bought red cord as well. I paid a quarter for each skein. This church mission store is near our cabin and I shop there every chance it get. I found a lace tank top last summer that they wouldn’t even charge me for because it had a black stain. They told me to just take it. I did and would you believe the stain came out easily. The following pictures show the completed project. I love how they look in front of the window at “teeny, tiny, red cabin.” here and here.. There is also a wonderful bunk house called La Cabinette next door. Following this are the final pictures. 
final pictures. 
google images/yesterdays
January is a great month. At least I think it is.
I know we can start anew anytime we want, but January seems such a perfect time. In Michigan the days are long and cold and dreary for the next two months. Unless you ski, which I can’t, it is a great time to reflect.
For me that means examining my habits, my relationships, my desires, etc. It also means looking back and figuring out what brought me joy and what didn’t. What were the situations that rocked my boat or caused me angst. What can I do in the future to avoid that? Are there attitudes I need to change? Are there people I need to distance myself from? Are there people I need to draw closer to? In what ways do I need to expand my life? In what ways do I need to draw my life in?
Even as I write, the questions and thoughts flow from my mind right to my fingertips and right on this keyboard with little conscious thought on my part. I love that. I love how blogging seems to be almost magical for me. I write things I didn’t even know I was thinking. Blogging is perhaps the most efficient and self-revealing activity I do. Sometimes that’s good and sometimes it isn’t. It always worthwhile however.
So today I encourage all of you to take time this month to think through this past year. I’m a firm believer that life worth living is the life that is examined now and then. Why stand still when we can grow? And let’s be sure of one thing. We are generally either moving forward, moving backward or remaining stagnant. Stagnant anything is usually “stinky”.
Remaining stagnant is not being at peace. Some people confuse the two. When we are at peace, we are not stagnant. Peace requires decision and decision is an action.
One resolution I made last year which was to let a couple of friendships settle into a natural rhythm rather than me trying to make them something they’re not, I have done a pretty good job of keeping. It wasn’t easy and even today I’ve been reminded that this resolution will be carried into the year 2015. But this year, I hope to accomplish it with even more grace and acceptance.
Anyway, that’s my New Year’s Ramblings for today. As I progress through this month you will be updated as to my final Resolutions for 2015. I may not keep them all. They will probably be redefined as life changes, but they are always a good place to start.
Let me know what resolutions you are considering. I would love to hear from you.
Happy New Year.
. .
According to my four-year old grandson, “Baby God” was born today. Not Jesus, Baby God.
Funny, huh?
On second thought, I love it. The Israelites weren’t allowed to speak the name of God so God’s son could not possibly be called “Baby God”. Jesus was His earthly name but “Baby God” says it all.
Too often we separate Jesus, God and the Holy Spirit and we forget they are one in the same. This is definitely not going to be an essay on the Trinity. Are you kidding me?
On this Christmas day, think what it might mean if you rethought the name “Jesus” and substituted “Baby God”. Would it possibly change how you feel about God? Would you see HIm in a more approachable way? Would you realize that He isn’t the angry God you might have been led to believe? Would you see the love that He gives evidenced in His voluntary time on earth?
Sometimes a four-year old has a better understanding of God than the rest of us.
Merry Christmas
Wow. Christmas is literally just around the corner. By ten this morning I had cooked chicken for White Chicken Chili and browned ground beef for Spaghetti sauce. Got all my Christmas cards ready. (That’s another story. I bought them weeks ago and can’t find them. As luck would have it I had just enough various left-overs to go around. I’ll find the other ones after Christmas.) My family is coming this Saturday and will be here for five days. The more I have done ahead of time, the better I feel and the more I can just enjoy the season.
Last night I completely organized my pantry because I know my daughter is going to want to decorate Pretzels and this way I’m all set. I know where everything is.
I got a little package of cookies and hot cocoa mix ready for our mail carrier. We are gone a lot and she does a great job of keeping track of all our “hold mails”.
Made a darling paper star wreath last night and wound yarn around a number of the gold Christmas trees from Dollar Tree. They are just adorable and you can vary the height by placing them on different sized candle holders etc. I’ll bet I’ve made at least twenty this year.
Working on my grocery list today. I live in Michigan and this winter, we’re learning to shop between snowstorms. Another one heading our tomorrow and a mega storm this week-end. We live on a hill. Need I say more?
I hope to make my mother-in-law’s nut roll today or tomorrow. I searched the internet and her recipe is truly unique. I want to be able to hand it down to the next generation. Of course, there is no recipe so I’m just going by “a little of this” and “a pinch of that”. I’ll let you know.
Hubby just back from cross-country skiing. I’ve got to check the freezer to see what I already have on hand. Seriously, I should own stock in our local grocery store, (Meijer’s.)
Anyway, I just thought I’d share with all you women out there the wonderful busyness of this Christmas season. What a contrast to the days Mary experienced leading up to the birth of her Son. And yet I find that being excited about Christmas and being crazy busy just makes me appreciate that gift of peace even more.
Truly Christmas is a time to enjoy the “fullness of life” that Christ promised.
God bless and hang in there everyone!
(ps. I just “pinged” these posts listed below. I hope I have time to read them. They look very interesting.)
Faith saved us from the savages that we were, losing faith makes us savages again
a visual taste for your inspiration crave
words. hearts. humility.
Living life for Sara and those around her
Om ditt och datt
beading, waist beads, necklace, bracelet's, earrings ,beaded flowers, beaded trees
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THE WORM IN MY APPLE 